With travel advice and guidance changing all the time, sometimes it feels like you have to be constantly checking the news for the latest on whether it’s safe to travel or not.
However, there is a much simpler way to get updates straight to your inbox thanks to the FCDO and their travel advice. Here’s how you can do it.
How To Get Government FCDO Alerts About Your Holiday Destination
The FCDO is a UK Government department that’s a great one-stop shop for all the advice you need about your holiday destination.
What is the FCDO?
The FCDO stands for the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and is a UK Government department that provides advice and updates about international travel.
They have a helpful website that has practical information for every country – covering all kinds of things like entry requirements (including visas), health (if vaccinations are mandatory or advised), safety, cultural practices and more.
Why is the FCDO travel guidance important?
FCDO travel advice is important not only because it aims to keep you safe – it can also impact whether you’re able to go on holiday at all.
That’s because if they opt to advise against travel to a country, it can invalidate your travel insurance and may even lead airlines or package holiday companies to cancel your booking.
How do I keep updated about FCDO travel updates?
The great news is it’s super simple.
- Visit the FCDO website and find your destination. You can also find this by simply searching for the name of your destination followed by ‘FCDO’ on Google. For example, ‘USA FCDO’.
- Next, click ‘Get email alerts’.
- Follow the prompts on screen to choose how frequently you want to receive updates and enter your email address.
- You’ll then get a confirmation email with a link you have to click on to activate your alerts.
Do I need to do this for all my holidays?
Subscribing to travel alerts may seem like something you only need to do for a new and far-flung destination you don’t know very well. However, signing up for updates can be super helpful even if you’re visiting somewhere you travel to frequently, or that is closer to home.
For example, things like weather issues, strikes and entry requirements can impact trips to Europe as much as they can further afield – especially since the UK isn’t in the EU. So there’s no such thing as having too much information.
What if the FCDO advice has worried me about my destination?
The important thing to remember is that FCDO advice is focused on the risks of travelling abroad.
It’s there to give you objective, up-to-date information so you can make informed decisions about your chosen destination.
Obviously, if the FCDO advises you against travelling, you should be sticking to that. However, for destinations which they do not advise against, it’s still possible that there will be warnings that make you feel nervous about travelling to your destination.
Please just know that this is because it’s their job to list all the possible scenarios – but that doesn’t mean that they are all going to happen.
My top tip if you do feel nervous is to look at the FCDO page for a destination you’ve been to before and felt safe. You’re likely to see similar warnings there, which may help put it all into context.
Stay Informed With FCDO Travel Updates From The UK Government
Before you book a trip or set off on your travels, make sure you’re fully prepared by checking the latest FCDO travel advice.
Signing up for email alerts is an easy and effective way to get the most recent updates on things like safety, entry requirements and local laws, helping you travel with confidence and stay safe overseas.
